Six Down, Four To Go

We're slowly whittling down this year's list of farm projects, and we're officially crossing one more off the list: clearing the goat garden area and getting started with plantings.  We've completed that and then some.  We've started gardens, put in grape vines and an orchard, and built the vine trellis tunnel  (which was another project crossed off the list). 

Before

After

Pictures don't really do justice to the amount of work that's been put in here, mostly by Craig (and his trusty tractor).  This area was goat pasture when I was a kid, but had been planted with pine trees that we had cleared when we moved down.  There was a lot of broken branches and debris left after the pines were cut, as well as rows and rows of pine stumps.  The trees were cut at ground level but many of the stumps/roots are still a mowing hazard.  Craig scraped it all up and added it to the pile of discarded trees in the middle, creating a new hill in the process.  He tilled, he planted, he built the trellis and now he mows it all, too.  I'm the visionary and supervisor, you understand.

This is part of the goat gardens, right after the trees were cut

In the orchard, we've put in satsuma oranges, loquats, pomegranate, plum, olives and persimmon (the latter two courtesy of Emily).  We also dug and moved several muscadine grapes, with plans to add more grape varieties. 

Newly planted satsumas in the orchard area

We've added a number of crepe myrtles, too.  We didn't originally plan that but when you find crepe myrtles on clearance at the nursery...well, who can pass that up?  We're up to 10 so far, including a few volunteers that Craig transported from other locations.

We still have a small area to clear behind the new hill, but I may take pity on Craig and let it go to meadow rather than trying to turn it into an additional area that needs mowing.

Now it just needs to grow in!

Here's the status of the project list - we're more than halfway done.  We're waiting on cooler weather to tackle the items we have left.  We've already started the barn renovation, and building a pump house is a must, but I doubt we'll finish all the walking paths or clearing the underbrush along the lane.  I suspect those are going to be perennials on the list for several years to come.


1. Build an enclosure for the pump

2. Put down flooring in the attic

3. Renovate the little barn

4.  Double the wildflower meadow

5. Spruce up the cabin exterior (paint the foundation and landscape)

6. Cut more trees and brush along the lane

7. Clear the goat garden area and start new gardens

8. Expand the walking path around the farm 

9. Finish landscaping the island

10.  Build a vine trellis